Taking A Chance
by Erucchii
Summary: Alec decided to attend high school away from his siblings to avoid being in their shadow. However, it wasn't as easy as he thought it would be. After an incident that forced him to transfer to Alicante Academy in Idris, Connecticut, he met someone who turned his world upside down, someone named Magnus Bane. But, will he be able to let Magnus in; and trust Magnus with his heart? AU
1. Chapter 1

**Taking A Chance: Chapter 1  
**

**A/N: Hi guys! So, I wasn't supposed to post this this year, it was supposed to be posted next year when I have less time to write (since I have most of the chapters done for this fic) but I couldn't help myself. I want to see how this is received here, before I continue posting other chapter. Although next chapter, I can only post it after two weeks, which is after my final exam. Anyways, I hope you enjoy reading this and please tell me what you think in a review (or PM me if you're shy). **

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Mortal Instruments.**

* * *

Alec groaned at the blaring alarm from his cell phone, before reaching for it from the bedside table and turning it off. He rolled on his back, and eyes widened when he looked at the time. It was half an hour passed the time he originally set for his alarm, and now, he might be late for the first day of class.

He was just walking towards his closet, when the bathroom door opened. His roommate, a sophomore named Simon Lewis, walked in with a towel on his head.

"Oh good, you're awake," the brunette said. "You have a few minutes to shower, if you want. The cafeteria will be serving breakfast for at least another fifteen minutes, before classes start."

Alec nodded. He headed towards the bathroom, while Simon went to his vanity table to dry his hair with the hairdryer. Before stepping into the bathroom, Alec turned to look at Simon.

"Hey, Simon," he called out. Simon turned off the hairdryer, and looked at the older teen's direction. "I'm sorry about waking you up so late last night."

His sister and adopted brother, Isabelle and Jace respectively, refused to listen to him. Instead of heading straight to the academy, they insisted on doing some last minute shopping, as well as eating dinner out. In the end, they barely made it to Alicante Academy in time for the curfew.

Simon waved off his apology. "No harm, no foul."

Alec nodded, and continued his way into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. As the warm water hit his skin, he let out a sigh. He wasn't looking forward to the first day of class. Transferring to a new school in the middle of the first semester, just after Thanksgiving holiday, meant he would be the only new student in his year. The other students would have their attention on him, because he's new, and also because of his family's reputation. And, among the things he despised, attention was one of them.

Ten minutes later, he exited the bathroom, dressed up in Alicante Academy's winter school uniform; he had opted for his black, school sweater instead of the blazer, over white, long-sleeved button up shirt, checkered gray tie, and a dark gray slacks. By that time, Simon had already left. He cursed under his breath, knowing he wouldn't make it to the cafeteria for breakfast. He grabbed his sling bag, and an apple from the mini-fridge in the room, silently thanking his mother for insisting he brought along some snacks.

* * *

Alec was early, or most of the students were simply waiting for the bell to ring before heading to class, but either way, he was glad that there were only a handful of his classmates inside when he entered the classroom. He looked around the classroom; there were twenty-four desks in the classroom, two desks connected to each other, placed in three rows in the middle of the class. He decided to sit in the middle row nearest to the door, that way; other students wouldn't accuse him of trying to be a teacher's pet on the first day for sitting at the front row. He was relieved that new students didn't have to wait for the teacher to introduce them in front of the class before lessons start, unlike his previous school.

There were whispers when students slowly filed into the classroom, and saw him. They were probably wondering who he was, if he was new. He heard some whispered whether he was related to Isabelle Lightwood, since he looked like her. He sighed. 'So it started,' he thought grimly. He didn't dare to think how worse it would get when the other students realize he was the eldest son of Robert Lightwood of Lightwood &amp; Herondale, C.P., one of the top law firms in Greenwich, Connecticut.

He was brought out of his musing when someone slid in the desk connected to his. The person was a girl with long, brunette curls, creamy white skin, and gray eyes. When she saw him looking at her, she smiled. He flushed slightly, and returned her smile with a small smile of his own.

"I've never seen you here before," she told him.

"Oh, I'm new," he replied. "Alec Lightwood." He held out his hand.

"Tessa Gray," she said, taking Alec's hand and shook it before letting go.

Alec was relieved that Tessa didn't seem to know who his family was, or if she did, she didn't say anything about it. Soon after, the AP Physics teacher, and also their homeroom teacher, Dr. Henry Branwell, a cheerful man with messy, red hair entered the class. Dr. Henry preferred to be called Professor Henry though. He introduced Alec when he was taking the students' attendance, and everyone began chattering about him again. Alec also saw some of the students' eyes widened in recognition when they turned to look at him. He sighed, but before things get out of hand, Professor Henry made the students pay attention once more.

Alec let out a relieved sigh when some of the students stopped sneaking glances at him. He turned to Tessa when she spoke.

"Don't worry, give it a few weeks, and they'll stop being curious about you."

"Thanks," he said sincerely. "For not asking questions," he added, when she arched an eyebrow at him.

"I love my privacy, so I try to give others the same courtesy. Of course, I used to be too curious for my own good, still am actually. But after transferring to this school a few years ago, I know how it felt like, so I learned how to keep my curiosity to myself," she grinned.

Alec nodded, smiling slightly. They stopped talking when Professor Henry started his lesson. He was glad that he had already reviewed the materials during the Thanksgiving break, because apparently the AP Physics class at his previous school was behind by two topics. It wasn't like he couldn't catch up if he didn't review them though; he just liked to be prepared. Physics was his favorite subject, and the only subject he did better than Jace, so he didn't want to make any mistakes.

The two hours passed by quickly that day since Professor Henry didn't want to overwhelm the students on the first day back after the Thanksgiving holiday. Alec asked Tessa what her second class was for the day, and they ended up showing each other their schedules. It appeared that they only have a few classes together, since Tessa was mostly taking AP subjects. When they were about to leave, Professor Henry told Alec he wanted to talk to him for a while, to see how he was doing in the class, so Tessa told him that she'd see Alec at lunch, or if not, during their History class after lunch.

* * *

Alec sighed when he couldn't find Jace or Isabelle in the cafeteria. He knew, Jace and Isabelle were both social butterflies, so they were probably held up by some of their classmates. He didn't see Tessa anywhere too, so he sighed, resigning to his fate; he would be having lunch alone on his first day. After buying his food, he looked around for empty tables. Some of his classmates from his English Literature class, the jocks he presumed, noticed him looking for a place to sit. They were the wealthy kids, and have the mindset that the wealthy should stick together, and offered him a place, but he politely declined. It wasn't like he wanted to be rude, but from the way they talked, he could guess that they were obnoxious snobs.

He then saw Simon sitting with a girl with wavy, red hair at the far end of the cafeteria, and contemplated whether he should ask if he could sit with them. He may not know Simon well, but at least he the younger teen was a familiar face. Before he could make his decision, Simon saw him and waved for him to come over. He nodded, and made his way towards Simon's table. He sat next to the brunette, and the latter immediately introduced him to his friend.

"Like Si said, I'm Clary Fray," she repeated, after Simon introduced them. She held out her hand, which Alec took.

"Alec Lightwood," he said simply.

Clary's eyebrows rose. "Any relation to Isabelle Lightwood?"

"My sister," he answered, wondering if Clary was a new enemy his sister made. He knew his sister could rarely get along with other girls her age.

"Oh," Clary said quickly. "I'm Isabelle's new roommate."

Alec looked at her questioningly, so Simon explained, "She just transferred from a public school in New York. We both applied for a scholarship here at the same time, but for some reason, her Arts scholarship took longer to be approved."

"Ah," Alec said, not knowing what else to say. After a second, he asked, "How long have you two been friends?"

"Since forever," Simon answered, grinning from ear to ear.

The redhead smacked her best friend's hand, although she had an amused expression on her face. "Don't listen to him. We've only been friends since we were six."

"Which summed up as forever," Simon quipped. He turned to Alec. "Come on, man, help a friend out here."

Alec was temporarily surprised to be called a friend so quickly. "Uhm… you do know each other more than half your life, so I guess, it probably does count as forever." However, his voice was uncertain at the end, so the statement sounded like a question instead.

Clary rolled her eyes at the brunette when he stuck his tongue out at her, and Alec couldn't help but chuckle. He was glad Simon invited him to sit with them. He didn't make friends easily; it was hard to know who sincerely wanted to be his friend because of the 'Lightwood' label on his head. It made him uncomfortable when they try to win favors from him. That was why he usually stuck with Jace, if he was around.

Clary began picking on her chicken pie when Simon started ranting about one of the video games he played during Thanksgiving break. Alec ate his pasta in silence, listening to Simon and Clary's banters, although most of it went in his right ear and out his left. He didn't mind though. He preferred listening to people talk, rather than talking to people. When Simon and Clary suddenly stopped talking, he looked up. The brunette and redhead were both looking at him.

"What?"

"You were really quiet. Are we making you bored?" Clary asked. "Because if we are, we can change the topic."

"Yeah, we were being kind of rude. We didn't think to include you in the conversation," Simon added, smiling sheepishly.

"It's fine," Alec exclaimed, before any of them started apologizing. "I didn't mind just listening to the conversation. Really."

Clary and Simon gave each other a look, before Clary shrugged. "If you say so."

He continued to listen as Clary and Simon's conversation moved from video games to manga. This time, he joined in from to time, since he actually _knew_ some of the things they were talking about. His youngest brother, Max, loved reading Japanese comics, and sometimes, the nine year-old boy had asked Alec to read for him. Clary smiled delightedly when Alec spoke.

"So, Alec, what do you like to do?" Simon asked. "Since we are going to be roommates until the end of this school year. We should at least get to know each other."

"Oh, um, I like running." He added in quickly, "I was a member of the track and field team at my old school."

"Oh, where is that?" Clary asked curiously.

"Edom Academy in Brooklyn."

"That's the school with the best track and field team in New York, right?" Simon asked. When Alec nodded, he continued asking, "Why'd you decide to transfer here then?"

"I…" Alec suddenly felt a lump in his throat, his heart clenching, and flashes of what happened at the start of the school year came into his mind.

Clary, noticing Alec's distressed look, said softly, "You didn't have to answer if you didn't want to, Alec." She gave her best friend a reprimanding look, which caused Simon to blush and looked at Alec sheepishly.

"Sorry, I didn't realize the question was personal."

Letting out a heavy breath, Alec replied, "It's okay, you didn't know." Then, he turned to both of them, a grateful look in his eyes. "Thanks for not prying."

"It's none of our business anyways," Clary shrugged it off. "You just met us. We're practically strangers. It's understandable."

Alec nodded, and gave them a thankful smile. Simon, after finishing the last of his vegetarian quiche, looked at his wristwatch. "The bell will ring any minute now," he said. "We better make a move, or we might be late."

Clary and Alec both nodded in agreement. After taking their tray to dispose of their trash, and placing the tray back at its place, they headed towards the school building. Alec declined Simon's offer to show him to his next class. Clary waved goodbye as they separated ways, and Alec walked towards his next class with a smile on his face. Maybe it was good to transfer to Alicante Academy after all.

* * *

In the middle of History, Alec received a text from Jace and Isabelle, both apologizing for ditching him during lunch. He didn't get the chance to reply though, because Professor Branwell, Professor Henry's wife, was looking straight at him. While Professor Henry was easygoing, Professor Charlotte Branwell was strict. But she was also kind though, and understanding, which was why she didn't punish Alec for being late that day. He accidentally took a wrong turn, and got lost.

When his final class for the day ended, he looked to his left, where Tessa was sitting. Unlike AP Physics, the table in this class has one or two feet distance between each individual table. While placing his books in his bag, he asked Tessa, "So, what do you usually do afterschool?"

"I'll lock myself in the library," Tessa answered jokingly, grinning. Alec chuckled. He remembered Tessa mentioning her love for books. "You should drop by, if you want. Around this time of the semester, not many students come to the library, so it's really quiet and peaceful. Although, the book club does meet up there once a week."

"Sure, I'll stop by after I meet up with Jace. I'll need some books for some classes anyways." While walking out of the classroom, Alec exchanged his cell phone number with Tessa. The females, and males' dormitory is on the opposite sides from one another (to prevent teenagers of opposite sex to sneak into each other's dorm room to do inappropriate deeds), so they decided to walk together until they had to go their separate ways.

Alec went straight to Jace's room, instead of going to his own first. After knocking on the door, he heard Jace hollered, "It's opened." Alec arched an eyebrow at the doorknob when it opened after he turned it.

"Hey, you're here," Jace said. He was sprawled on his bed, his blazer and tie discarded on his chair by his study table.

"Hey." Alec closed the door, and then, walked towards Jace's table, placed his bag down on the floor, before sitting on the aforementioned chair. "It's dangerous to leave your door unlocked."

Jace laughed. "I'm not exactly some helpless damsel, Alec." The older teen could hear his brother's thick British accent, sounding amused. "Besides, I knew you were coming."

"Whatever you say, Jace," he replied. "So, where were you during lunch?"

"I was held up by some members of the track and field team. Sorry about that."

Alec nodded. He knew Jace truly felt apologetic. His adopted brother may be annoying and cocky most of the time, but the younger teen cares a lot about his family. "Don't worry about it."

"Whom did you eat with? I hoped you didn't have to eat alone."

"My roommate invited me to sit with him and his friend. It wasn't that bad, so don't worry yourself about it."

Jace sat crossed-legged on his bed, and gave Alec a grin. "To make it up to you, we'll eat dinner together at Taki's tonight."

Alec gave him a reproachful look. "I am not going to sneak out on my first day at the academy."

"Fine. We'll have dinner at the cafeteria then," Jace pouted.

Alec took Jace's stress ball from the study table, and threw it at him. "Stop pouting."

Jace laughed as he caught the ball. For some reason, it made Alec laughed too. After a moment, Jace started to toss the ball between him and Alec. Alec let his eyes explore Jace's room. It stopped on the vanity table, with lots of makeup, on the opposite side of the room. However, there was no bed sheet on the bed, and no indication that someone slept there last night.

He asked curiously, "Where's your roommate?"

Jace shrugged. "I don't know. He wasn't in when I arrived last night. But then again, I am not surprised. During my first year here, there were times when Bane left the academy for a few days during the school period."

"Oh. What's he like?"

Jace arched his eyebrow at Alec, but decided to answer the question anyways. "He is quite flamboyant, and…bisexual."

This time, it was Alec's turn to look at Jace questioningly. "How would you know that he's bisexual?"

Jace's cheeks, for some reason, tinted red. "Whatever you're thinking, stop."

"I wasn't thinking of anything."

Jace only gave his brother a look. "Anyways, to answer your question, Bane used to bring some girls, or guys back to the room." Jace shuddered. "Besides, he is not really in the closet about his sexual orientation."

"Oh."

"Why are you so curious anyways?"

"I was just wondering," Alec answered, as he continued to toss the ball at Jace.

Jace caught the ball, then looked at it for a moment, and out of the blue, he asked, "Will you be joining track and field again?" before throwing the ball at Alec.

The question caught Alec off guard, and he missed the ball. It hit the floor and bounced till it hit the wall. "I don't know." He looked away from Jace.

"You know the people here aren't like the people at Edom, right? You don't have to be afraid—"

The sudden mention of Edom made him clenched his fists, his face hard. "Look, I've transferred to Alicante. What more do you want?" He stood up abruptly, trying to regain his composure. "I think I need to head down to the library now. I'll see you at dinner," he said, as he gathered his bag.

Jace was also standing by this time. He followed Alec towards the door. Before Alec walked out the room, Jace whispered to him, "I won't let anyone hurt you, you know that right?"

"I need to go. I'll see you at dinner," his voice was forceful, and he didn't even say goodbye to his brother when he walked away. But he couldn't make himself care right now, if he was being rude. Edom was not something he liked to talk about.

* * *

"I didn't think you'd show up." Surprise was painted on Tessa's face when she saw Alec dropping in the seat in front of her, at the secluded end of the library.

"I was walking around the school grounds, trying to clear my head," he sighed.

"Did you have a disagreement with your brother?" There was a slight concern on Tessa's face, and Alec couldn't help but smile.

"No, not really," he answered. "I…it's complicated."

When Alec didn't elaborate more on his words, Tessa didn't pry. She knew if Alec wanted her to know, he would have told her. She bookmarked the novel she was reading, and placed it gently on the table. "So, you said you needed some books for classes?"

"Yeah. Apparently, people aren't exaggerating when they say Alicante Academy is ranked top five in the United States in terms of academic achievements. I'm behind in some classes, especially English Lit. I can catch up on the others, but for literature, I've always been bad at it."

"I can help you if you want," Tessa offered. "I'm in AP Literature, so…"

"That's great," Alec said, before thanking her. Then, he left her to continue her reading, while he went in search of proper materials to help him catch up with some of his school works.

They sat there, reading in silence. Before they knew it, it was almost time for dinner. Alec groaned as he stretched. "We should probably be heading back. It's getting late."

"You go on ahead. I'm staying here for awhile longer."

Alec looked unsure. "Are you sure? I can—" he was cut off when his iPhone vibrated. He took it out and saw the text message from Isabelle.

'_Heard from Jace about dinner. Will meet u there. Sorry 'bout earlier. xoxo'_

"I'll be fine," Tessa assured him. "You have a dinner date with your siblings, don't you?"

Alec sighed, "Okay." He sent a quick reply to Isabelle before he placed his bag on one shoulder, and gathered the library books he wanted to borrow. "I'll see you around then."

Tessa nodded, giving him a wave, and he made his way to the kiosk machine to check out his library books.

* * *

Dinner with his Jace and Isabelle were fun, just as it always have been. He had missed this when he decided to attend a different high school. Dinner was filled with laughter, which started when Jace, with a straight face, made a toast in honor of Alec's first day at the academy. Then, they started talking, Isabelle asking him how his day went, and if he met anyone that he liked? He even laughed at the things that Jace said, and talked animatedly with his brother, and he noticed a smile of relief on Jace face. The blonde was probably worried that he was still angry at the incident earlier.

No one approached the three siblings' table. Their bubble left no space for others to join in. And, even when some friends of Jace, or Isabelle tried to take their attention away, they said no. They promised Alec that tonight was Alec's night, and they will carry it out until the end. When some of Isabelle's friends tried to coax her again, she gave them a glare that could make hell freeze.

Alec inwardly shuddered. He had learnt how scary Isabelle could be when she was feeling protective, especially when it comes to Alec, or even Max or Jace. He let a smile cross his face when he thought of Jace and Isabelle. From a young age, he always thought he had to prove himself to his father. So, unlike Isabelle, or even Jace at times, he never tried to show his weak side; never tried to show how upset he was or how scared he was. That in turn, made his parents pay more attention to his younger siblings, and Alec was left in the background. A small part of him resented Isabelle and Jace, and on occasion, Max, for taking all of their parents' attention. But he knew, Jace, Isabelle, and even Max will do everything they can for him. They love, and feel protective of him with a fierce passion.

Right now, Jace and Isabelle was having an argument on something, Alec had lost track what it was about. However, he took this chance to sneak a glance at his wristwatch, which caused him to frown. It was almost half past eight, and he had been in the cafeteria since a quarter past seven. Yet, he saw no sign of Tessa in the cafeteria. He looked around, in case he missed her, but still no Tessa.

However, his eyes did met Clary's, and the redhead smiled at him and gave him a little wave. He smiled back, and returned the gesture. She then turned back to Simon, and a girl he didn't recognize, and continued whatever discussion they were having. Realizing that Jace and Izzy have stopped arguing, he returned his attention to his siblings, and was slightly take aback to see them staring at him.

"What?"

"I thought you said you didn't meet anyone you liked?"

Alec looked at his sister levelly. "When you asked me that, you were implying someone I might have an interest on romantically, and so I answered no."

Jace whistled. "That chick is a babe though."

Alec groaned. "One of these days, Jace Herondale, your mouth will land you in the hospital. And, although I've only met Clary during lunch, I can say that she can give you as good as she gets."

Isabelle nodded. "On that front, I could agree."

"She mentioned that you're her roommate," Alec added.

"Did she say anything else?"

"No. Why?"

"We kind of started on the wrong foot last night," Isabelle shrugged.

"Oh." Not knowing what else to do, he just gave his sister a comforting pat on the hand. He knew, sometimes Isabelle find it hard to interact with other girls. They judge her without knowing her, and some only wanted to be her friend for her money.

Isabelle gave him a smile at the gesture.

"Anyways," Jace said, dragging the word out. "Alec, you were tearing the cafeteria apart with your eyes. Are you looking for someone?"

"Just a classmate of mine." He added, "Tessa Gray. Does she usually skip lunch and dinner at the cafeteria?"

Isabelle answered, "From what I know, she doesn't socialize with anyone much. She's here on a scholarship, and you know how some "rich kids" get about people with different social standing."

"The only person she seems to hang out with is Bane, and sometimes Ragnor Fell," Jace added in his two cents.

"Hmm…" Alec didn't get to muse about his new friend for long, because Jace and Isabelle, who started having another argument about something or other, had dragged him into it too.

* * *

**A/N: So, how was it? Comments? Do you think it's too long? Or too short? Do you think anyone's out of character? Review please :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Taking A Chance**

**Chapter 2**

**A/N: I know this is not two weeks yet, and my exams are not over. But I'm tired of studying, my brain is about to fry because of all the maths, and I'm seriously contemplating if I should headdesk. Anyways, I need a little pick-me-up, and thought maybe I could post this chapter early, and get feedbacks from you guys :D Oh yeah, I just realized that I roomed Izzy, Jace, and Alec with each other's significant other haha So anyways, yeah, enjoy~**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Mortal Instruments.**

* * *

**Thank you to linlaverynz, Beey95, VampiressBeauty20, pi9, hellosweetpea, Midlife-Fan, arnangela, and Daime Guiral for leaving a review :D**

* * *

The rest of the week was uneventful, much to Alec's relief. Some of the students were still trying to get in his good graces, but most of them left him alone now. They probably realized that he was not as interesting as his two younger siblings. He continued sitting with Tessa, who he slowly became friends with during the few classes they had together, and joined Simon and Clary for lunch, if Jace and Isabelle were not available. Sometimes, Isabelle would also join them, and Alec could feel the strained atmosphere between his sister and Clary.

He sighed. It wasn't like there's anything he could do about it. Isabelle was no longer a child, and does not appreciate anyone intervening in her business. He just hoped his sister and Clary could deal with whatever problems they have with one another sooner, rather than later. It would make lunch less awkward.

Alec continued spending time afterschool in the library with Tessa, and true to her words, she has helped him with anything related to Literature. Despite the fact that he did enjoy reading, Shakespeare was definitely not on his favorite reading list. Other than that, he still had not join any extracurricular activities at the academy. When the track and field club members heard that he held the best record for sprinting at Edom Academy, they tried hard to recruit him. Alec had to avoid bumping into any members of the track and field club, except for Jace, because of it. Since Jace's roommate was still absent, sometimes Alec would hide out in Jace's room.

The weekends passed by quietly, and it was finally Monday again. After class ended, he went directly to the library with Tessa, instead of returning to his own room first. Since his first day at the academy, he noted that his friend had been skipping lunch and dinner at the cafeteria, and he was becoming worried. Therefore, when it was time for them to leave the library, he invited Tessa to join him for dinner.

Tessa's eyes widened. "Oh, but I don't want to intrude," she said, knowing Alec would be having dinner with Jace and Isabelle.

He waved off Tessa's concern. "They wouldn't mind."

Tessa bit her bottom lip, trying to think of an excuse, but Alec continued persuading her until she ultimately agreed. She sighed, saying, "Fine, if you're sure."

While walking out the library building, Alec and Tessa agreed to meet up at the cafeteria at seven. They separated outside the library, since it was located near the girls' dorm building. After Tessa made her way inside the dormitory, she had just passed the common room, and was on her way to the staircase, when someone stopped her.

The person was Camille Belcourt, a girl with long, blonde hair and emerald green eyes. She was a senior like them, and the "queen bee" at the academy. "Rosie told me what happened in the library."

"Camille, what do you want?" Tessa said in a clipped tone.

"Only one week, and you've managed to weasel your way into Alec Lightwood's life." She clapped her hands mockingly. "Bravo."

Tessa rolled her eyes. She was used to being treated this way by Camille. While everyone else mostly left her alone, Camille made it her mission to make Tessa's life at the academy hell. And it was all because she was poorer than most students, and also because she was childhood friends with a certain Magnus Bane.

The blonde gave her a haughty smile. "You really are unbelievable. You have Magnus wrapped around your fingers, and now you're after Alec Lightwood too. You really have no shame."

Tessa's expression hardened. She was angry, tired of being verbally abused by Camille, but she kept herself together. "If you're done insulting me, then I really need to get going. I have dinner plans," she knew it was childish, but she couldn't help but rub it in Camille's face for once. "Excuse me." Tessa walked fast, trying to get past Camille to the staircase, but the blonde caught her arm.

"We're not done yet," she hissed.

"What's going on here?" a voice said, and they saw Isabelle Lightwood making their way towards them.

Camille quickly let go of Tessa's hand, and recomposed herself. "That is none of your concern, Lightwood," she said. Giving Tessa one last hateful look, she all but flipped her hair at the brunette and turned towards the younger teen. "If I were you, I would advise Alec to stop being friends with Tessa. She is much beneath people with our status in society."

Isabelle snorted in disgust. She always hated people who discriminate based on a person's wealth. "Lay off, Belcourt. You don't have to concern yourself with whom my brother wished to be friends with."

Although Camille's icy snobbish smile didn't show it, but inside she was boiling. "Well, I hope your brother won't regret that decision then." Without waiting for a reply, she made her way back into the common room.

Isabelle rolled her eyes, a frown on her face. But when she turned to look at Tessa, the frown was already replaced by a bright smile. "Hey," she greeted.

Tessa arched an eyebrow at Isabelle, but replied cautiously, "Hi."

The tall, black-haired girl shifted the sling of her duffel bag slightly, and asked, "Just returned from the library?"

Tessa nodded, "Yes." She noticed Isabelle's wet hair, and that the other girl was not wearing her full uniform. "Just finished your gymnastic training?"

"Yeah. So," she drawled out. "Did my brother asked you about having dinner with us yet?"

"He did, yes."

"That's great then. He was always worried when he thought you were skipping lunch or dinner purposely." The younger teen narrowed her eyes at her senior. "You're not doing that, are you?"

"Of course not," Tessa replied. "I'm just not really fond of eating at the cafeteria without Magnus there."

Isabelle nodded her head. "That's understandable." She paused, thinking for a moment. "I'm probably not the person to issue this invitation, since you're Alec's friend and all, but next time, you can join us for lunch too if you want."

Tessa was momentarily surprised but quickly hid it with a smile. "Thank you," she replied sincerely. Isabelle was a Lightwood, and one of the most popular girls in the school, despite not belonging in any cliques. Not that she didn't have any friends, but Tessa noticed that Isabelle mostly hang out with her brother—brothers, now that Alec's here, or kept to herself by focusing on her gymnastic training.

"Well," Isabelle cleared her throat. "I guess, I'll see you at dinner." After giving Tessa one last smile, she made her way pass Tessa and up the staircase to her dorm room.

* * *

"Look who finally decided to show up," Jace said, when Isabelle placed her tray of food onto the space beside him and sat down.

"Piss off, Jace," she snapped.

"Oh, feisty," Jace continued to tease. Isabelle glared daggers at him, and Alec could only sigh.

"Can't both of you stop arguing for at least one dinner?"

"Jace started it," Isabelle muttered, stabbing her roasted potatoes with her fork.

"Is something bothering you, Isabelle?" Tessa asked, looking at the girl sitting across her.

"Tessa, just call me Izzy, everyone does," she told the brunette. "And no, not really. I just had a fight with my roommate."

"You fought with Clary?"

"Should I find our lovely Miss Fray, and escort her to the infirmary?" Jace said, a touch of mock concern in his voice.

"Damn it, Jace! I fought with her verbally, I didn't whack her in the face."

"When it comes to you, one will never know. You're an unpredictable girl, Izzy."

Isabelle was practically growling, and Alec groaned. "Can't both of you just stop?"

Before Jace or Isabelle could retort, Tessa laughed. Three pair of eyes looked at the brunette, confused. "I'm sorry," she said, once she sobered up. "It's just, your bickering reminded me of a friend of mine."

"God, I hope it's not Bane," Jace muttered.

"It's not… Although, I have to ask, what is your problem with Magnus, anyways?" Tessa narrowed her eyes. "You've been roommates for the past two years, and both of you still gets on each other's nerves every day."

Jace opened his mouth to answer, but a voice behind Tessa beat him to it.

"That's because he's a pain in the ass, Tessa."

Alec had never saw someone turned around in his or her seat as fast as Tessa before. He turned too look as well, and saw a tall teenage boy around their age, with caramel skin and spiky hair, and, in Alec's opinion, a unique, yellow-green cat-like eyes. He used an excessive amount of makeup, eyeliner and glitter around his eyes, and also some glitter in his hair. His clothes were also quite unique. He wore a purple, fishnet shirt over a black tank top, and black skinny jeans.

"Magnus," Tessa exclaimed, as she flung herself at him. Magnus laughed, returning the hug for a few minutes, before letting go. "What are you thinking, wearing something like this in December?" she admonished, hands on her hips. "You'll catch a cold, or worse!"

"Fashion beats comfort, my dear," he said, grinning. When he saw Alec looking at him, he winked, causing Alec to turn away with a blush on his face. His grin grew wider. He swore he never saw him at the academy before, so he must be new. He'll have to ask Tessa about him later.

"I approve," Isabelle told Magnus with a grin, referring to his choice of clothing. "And good to have you back, Magnus. It's quiet without you around."

"I am honored to receive a compliment from the queen of fashion," he smirked at Isabelle. "And, of course it is. I am the life of the party after all." Jace had snorted at that statement.

They heard a loud yell of 'Mags!' four table from theirs, which caused all but Jace to turn and look. A boy with white-ish, blonde hair that fell to his shoulder was waving at Magnus, gesturing for him to come over. Alec noticed that he was sitting with Clary's group.

Magnus gave an irritated sigh. "Ragnor calls," he said dramatically.

"Do you want me to—"

Tessa never finished her question when Magnus cut in, an amused smile on his face. "Just finish your dinner, Tessa. We can talk before curfew," he told the brunette. Then, he looked at Isabelle. "Good to see you again, Isabelle Lightwood," he grinned at the girl, and at Jace, he said, "Not really fond of seeing you though." Then, his eyes fell on Alec. "I'll see you around, blue-eyes," he winked, before walking toward Ragnor, leaving a blushing Alec behind.

Still scowling, Jace jabbed his fork at his chicken. "I still don't like him."

Alec didn't hear him though. He was still staring at Magnus when he gave Clary a quick hug, before taking a seat next to the person he had called Ragnor. Before he started eating, he stretched his limbs, causing his shirt to ride up, revealing smooth sun-kissed skin.

Alec's eyes widened when Magnus turned and caught him staring for the second time within the hour. He felt blood rushing up to his face, and quickly returned his attention to his food. However, from the corner his eyes, he saw Isabelle grinning at him from ear-to-ear, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

* * *

At a quarter past nine, Jace had excused himself and went to the library to finish a report for one of his classes. Isabelle, on the other hand, decided to hang out with Alec. He knew his sister well enough that having a bad feeling about the idea was not considered paranoia. Besides, Isabelle was smirking at him all the way back to his room. Alec was glad that tonight, Simon decided to use his free time to study at the library with Clary and Aline. That way, the risk of Isabelle making him embarrassed in front of his friend was zero.

Isabelle was sitting crossed-legged on Alec's bed, munching on the chocolate brownies their mom packed for Alec, while waiting for her brother to change out of his uniform. Maryse Lightwood was always busy, but during the rare times that she was not at work or traveling, she enjoyed baking treats for her children. Alec exited the bathroom wearing an old blue shirt, and a pajama bottom. He frowned when he saw what Isabelle was doing, marched towards his sister, and grabbed the treats out of her hands. Ignoring Isabelle's loud 'Hey!' he closed the container half-filled with brownies, and kept it in the fridge.

"I thought a gymnast always watch what she eats," Alec said, arching an eyebrow at his sister.

"I have a high metabolism, and you know it!"

Alec couldn't help but chuckle, and dropped on the bed next to his sister. "So, what's your hidden agenda tonight?"

"I do not have a hidden agenda," Isabelle said, which resulted in Alec snorting. She rolled her eyes. "Oh, fine," she said. Without beating around the bush, she stated, "You like Magnus."

Alec gaped at Isabelle for a second, blood rushing to his face. "I do not."

Isabelle smirked. "You're blushing."

"I. Do. Not. Like. Magnus." He said slowly, emphasizing on every word.

"You don't have to lie to me, Alec. I know that you're gay," Isabelle said softly.

"W-What did you say?" Alec froze, his eyes widened.

"I said I know that you're gay."

For a moment, Alec couldn't find his voice to speak. "How did you find out?"

Isabelle sighed. "Alec, I'm your sister. I know things." Then, she added, "Mostly, it's because of the way you used to look at Jace before you transferred to Edom Academy."

There was a short pause, before Alec asked, "Y-You knew for that long?" Alec's voice was barely audible to Isabelle.

Isabelle nodded. Then, she placed her hand on top of Alec's before he started to hyperventilate. "Hey, it's okay, really. I don't care if you're gay. You're still my brother, and I still love you."

Alec let out a deep breath. 'So, basically Izzy knew about it since he started admitting that fact to himself.' He gave Isabelle a weak smile. "Thanks." After a moment, he said, "Izzy, I…I'm kind of tired."

Isabelle nodded, understanding the meaning behind her brother's words. She swung her legs over the side of the bed, and stood up. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

Alec walked his sister to the door. Isabelle bit her bottom lip, hesitating for a moment, before saying, "Alec, it's really fine if you like guys. None of us will hate you for it. And if anyone gives you grief about it, Jace and I will make them regret they were born."

"Jace knows?"

"No, he doesn't," she shook her head. "But he wouldn't care. He'll move mountains just to protect you."

When Alec didn't reply, she decided to give her brother a quick hug before exiting the room. As she made her way back to her own dorm room, she wondered if she did the right thing by confronting her brother.

* * *

Alec cursed under his breath, as he ran as fast as he could towards the school building. He had forgotten to charge his damn phone, and now, he was late. Simon had learned early on to never try and wake him up, so the younger teen never tried it again. By the time Alec reached the art room, face flushed and panting for breath, he could hear the teacher's voice, Ms. Evelyn, explaining about their task for the class. He entered the classroom, mumbling his apologies before rushing to the only empty seat available.

"You're not a morning person, huh?"

"No, I'm—" his eyes widened when he realized who it was, "not." In his haste getting to his seat, he didn't see who was sitting by the easel next to him.

"So, we meet again, blue eyes," Magnus grinned.

"Um yeah," he managed to choke out. "I'm Alexander—Alec Lightwood."

"I know," Magnus said. "Magnus Bane."

"I… I know that too," Alec replied.

"Of course you do," Magnus grinned again.

Alec blushed, but didn't say anything more. Instead, he concentrated on whatever Ms. Evelyn was saying, while taking out his tubes of oil paint and brushes from his bag. He didn't realize he had started to tune Magnus out until the other teen sighed. His head turned towards Magnus. "What?" he asked awkwardly.

"Nothing," Magnus replied, staring ahead at some of the landscape paintings they were supposed to use as reference. "You're a quiet person, aren't you?" he added frustratingly.

For some reasons that he can't ascertain yet, his blood always rushed to his face whenever Magnus had spoken.

Magnus eyed him with an amused smile, before saying, "Hey, it's okay if you are."

"Um, thanks," he really didn't quite know what to say.

"No problem."

It was silent once more between them as they started to concentrate on the painting. Sometimes, Magnus's eyes would stray to the side and he grinned when he saw how Alec would bite his lower lip, or scrunched his nose when he concentrated too hard, or when some part of his painting didn't turn out the way he wanted. Magnus was brought out of his musing when he heard someone cleared her throat softly on his other side. He turned, and was faced with Ms. Evelyn, the teacher for the Intermediate Arts class.

"Mr. Bane, I believe the landscape paintings you're supposed to use as a basis for your own painting is in front of you, and not to your left." There was an amused glint in her eyes as she said those words.

Magnus could only grin, "Of course, Ms. Evelyn." He always liked having her as a teacher. She was one of the more easy going teachers at the academy.

"Carry on with your work then," the teacher said with a nod, and then, continued to survey the class, stopping at every student's easel to give comments or advices, if needed.

It happened fifteen minutes before class was over. Alec had finished his painting, and was heading to the sink to wash his art tools. However, after a few steps, he dropped one of his brushed. While bending down to pick it up, he heard a low whistle. When he turned around, he saw Magnus giving him a once over.

"Your ass is sexy," Magnus muttered.

"Excuse me?" he squeaked. His face was burning.

"I said your painting is pretty," Magnus gave Alec an amused look, with an arched eyebrow. He wanted to see if Alec would call him on his bullshit or deny what he originally might hear, and accept the new answer.

"Oh, thanks." He decided not to ponder upon it, and made a beeline for the sink.

Magnus chuckled, and when he turned back to his unfinished painting, he was once again graced by Ms. Evelyn's presence.

"Mr. Bane, if you would cease flirting with Mr. Lightwood, you might be able to finish your work before the end of this class."

"Yes, ma'am," Magnus saluted. Ms. Evelyn just sighed and shook her head, as she walked away.

When the bell rang, Magnus quickly kept his tools in his bag, but still, it was too late. Alec had already disappeared among the sea of students. 'Damn, I lost him,' he thought, sulking.

* * *

"I didn't think you'd want to eat lunch with me today," Isabelle said casually, as she ate her fruit salad.

"I'm not that bad," Alec frowned. Today, Izzy and him were eating lunch at the balcony of the cafeteria, and Jace would be joining them soon.

"Remember that incident a few years ago, when I accidentally destroyed one of your books and you wouldn't talk to me for almost a week?" Isabelle teased, waving her fork at her brother.

"I was twelve!"

Isabelle laughed. "And now you're eighteen, but still so easy to tease."

"Sure, laugh all you want," he grumbled, before taking a bite of his Panini sandwich.

Isabelle smiled. "But seriously though, you're not still mad at me, are you?"

Alec sighed, and placed his sandwich on the table. "I was never mad at you, Iz."

"You could've fooled me," she said.

"I'm sorry for last night."

"No," Isabelle shook her head, and dropped her fork in the plastic container. "I shouldn't have pushed." Alec's laughter took Isabelle by surprised. "What's so funny?" she glared.

"I couldn't imagine you not being pushy, Izzy," he said after he sobered up.

"I'm not that bad," she pouted.

"No, you're just Izzy," Alec said fondly. Isabelle stuck out her tongue at him. "You know, your tongue might just stay that way. It's winter after all."

"Very funny, brothermine."

There was a short silence before Alec decided to ask; "You're not repulsed that I used to look at Jace in a non-brotherly way?"

Isabelle snorted. "Of course not. I mean, that arrogant brother of ours really is sex on legs, if you catch my drift."

Alec couldn't help the laughter that bubbled out of him, and that made Isabelle smile. Before he could retort, Jace slipped in the seat next to Isabelle. "What did I miss?"

Alec ignored Jace's question, and stared at his adopted brother's face. "What happened to your cheek?"

Isabelle looked at the aforementioned cheek and whistled, "It's really red." She poked it, which earned her a glare from Jace. "Whom did you piss off?"

"I ran into Clary's palm in the cafeteria."

"Ouch," Isabelle smirked, "can't say I didn't see that coming." Poking Jace's red cheek again, she said, "Hmm… She may not be so bad after all."

"You were being an ass to her, didn't you?" Alec concluded.

"No, I was being an ass to her _friend_," Jace was scowling when he said the last word. "Stop it," he growled at Isabelle, who was still poking his cheek.

Alec winced. "She's extremely protective when it comes to Simon."

"Tell me about it," Jace mumbled. "One would think they're dating."

"Who knows, maybe they are," Isabelle said flippantly, however Alec could see disappointment in his sister's eyes.

Alec raised his eyebrows inwardly. 'What's this?' he thought. He wondered if maybe his sister had a crush on his roommate? But then, Simon wasn't usually the type his sister crushed on.

"They're not dating," Alec told his siblings, which caught both Jace and Isabelle's attention.

"How would you know?"

"Clary told me," he answered simply. "She spends some time in mine and Simon's room afterschool sometimes."

Isabelle arched an eyebrow, frowning. "So, what are they? Friends with benefits?"

Alec choked on the water he was drinking. "No, they really are just best friends. They did the dating thing in middle school, and it felt weird. They're like, practically siblings." He noticed the look on Jace's face, and quickly said, "No, Jace."

"No what?"

"I know what you're thinking."

"I like her."

Isabelle snorted. "Of course you do. She didn't throw herself at your feet."

"I didn't like her just because of that," Jace retorted. After a short pause, he looked directly at Alec. "You can help me. You're friends with her, right?"

"Yes, but—"

"Come on, Alec. I'll do it for you too, if it's the other way around."

Alec's cheeks reddened slightly when Isabelle wiggled her eyebrows at him, a smirk on her face. Luckily Jace didn't see what Isabelle was doing. He resisted the urge to glare at his sister, before sighing. "Jace, when someone slaps you, that usually means the person doesn't like you," Alec pointed out.

"But I can try. No one can resist the Herondale charms for long."

"And that, my brother," Isabelle said, "Was why she didn't really like you in the first place."

Jace glared at his tall, dark-haired sister. "Well, maybe _you_ can put in a good word for me since she is your roommate."

Isabelle laughed. "We're not even on speaking terms, how do you expect me to help you? Besides, it'll take more than a good word to make her change her mind."

It didn't take long for Isabelle and Jace to bicker like they usually do. Alec shook his head fondly at his siblings. While finishing his lunch, he thought, 'At least the conversation has shifted away from me.'

* * *

When Alec walked into the library, and headed for his usual seat, Tessa was not there, but someone else was. Someone he tried to avoid, someone named Magnus Bane. He wanted to turn and walk away, but Magnus had already seen him. The latter gave him a wave, and a smile that made his heart flutter. He hated how Magnus had that effect on him, and at the same time, he wondered why he always felt that way around Magnus. He tried to not let his nervousness show as he slid in the seat across Magnus.

"Hi," he said, taking out all his homework for the day. "Where's Tessa?"

"Second floor's verandah," Magnus answered simply. He didn't elaborate, so Alec didn't ask.

It was hard for Alec to concentrate on his AP Calculus assignment, because he could feel Magnus's eyes on him. Sometimes, Magnus would even "accidentally" brush his bare feet against Alec's socked feet, which made him stiffen, his eyes widened, and a blush crept on his face. He was glad that soon after, Clary appeared in the library, and took a seat next to Alec. She all but dropped her head onto the wooden table. Magnus was grinning at her, although the redhead couldn't see it.

"I heard about the cafeteria incident." The grin had turned into a smirk.

Clary groaned. "It's all over the school, and I can't go anywhere without getting harassed by the 'We love Jace' fan club members." She sat up straight, and glared at Alec. "Your brother is such an asshole."

"Seconded," Magnus voiced out.

Alec let out an awkward laugh. "He's not that bad." He mentally winced, that didn't sound convincing at all.

Clary only gave him a look for a moment, before dropping her head back onto the table with a groan. "Just let me hide out here for awhile."

He asked, after Magnus chuckled, "Where's Simon?"

"Archery club."

"There's an archery club at the academy?" Alec was surprised.

Clary shifted her head, so that she could look at Alec. "Yes. Didn't you go through the list of extra curricular activities available at the academy?"

"He didn't," Tessa said from behind them before Alec could answer. She went and took her seat beside Magnus. "He's only interested in the Track and Field club but is too stubborn to join, for some reasons."

"Damn, I'd pay good money to see you in running shorts," Magnus grinned.

Alec blushed, and Tessa elbowed her best friend. Clary placed a sympathetic hand on Alec's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Magnus is a really insensitive flirt sometimes."

"Clarissa," Magnus glared. "I still have embarrassing stories about your childhood days, you know? And I'm not afraid to use it."

This fact made Alec even more curious about the relationship between Magnus and Clary. However, before he could go far into his thoughts, Clary called out his name.

"So, do you play?" At the confused look Alec gave her, she clarified, "Archery."

"I did, before I invested all my time on track and field that is."

"Simon said that the club is still recruiting new members, if you're interested.

"I'll think about it," Alec smiled.

Clary nodded before turning her attention to Magnus. They were talking about someone or something named Chairman Meow, before he decided to tune out on their conversation and continued working on his homework. However, he did notice Magnus's eyes on him, and it made him blush again. He really needed to stop blushing so much around the other teen.

* * *

**A/N: So, how was it? Help brighten my day, and motivate me to study for my exams by leaving a review. Of course, give me feedbacks about the chapter too, or tell me if there's any typos that I missed.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Taking A Chance**

**Chapter 3**

**A/N: I am so sorry for updating sooo late. My laptop was reformatted, and I lost all my files. I didn't have a backup, so I had to re-write everything. Anyways, I would be transferring to Melbourne next month, so next update might be slow too, unfortunately. But enough of this, please enjoy the chapter :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mortal Instruments, or any Infernal Devices characters that appears in the fic.**

* * *

**Thank you to Midlife-fan, hellosweetpea, manibarilo, Daime Guiral, and LettersFromTheLonelyOtakuGirl for leaving a review in Chapter 2 :) *gives virtual cookies***

* * *

Alec slid into his seat at one of the dining nooks at the corner of the cafeteria, near the large windows. The tables in that row was hidden from view by a big pillar, and it was quite far from where the other students chose to sit, which was another reason why Alec loved sitting at that table, a lot. That night, he decided to eat grilled salmon with mashed potato, and steamed vegetables. He had just started eating when another person slid into the seat the opposite from him. Surprised, he looked up to see the familiar redhead smiling at him.

"I hope you don't mind me joining you for dinner," Clary said after placing her plate of food on the table.

"Where's your shadow?" Alec teased. He found it surprising at first that he could become friends with the redhead so easily. Normally, he would find himself being annoyed by someone like her. Quiet, but stubborn and was not shy to share what she's thinking.

"Si's not my shadow," she glared, but then smiled. "He had to finish a group project with Izzy, Aline and Thomas. Isabelle told me to eat with you since you'd be alone too."

Alec nodded. Jace had high jump training that night. Then, he backtracked. "Wait, since when are you and Izzy on good terms?"

Clary had a thoughtful look on her face, before a small smile appeared on her face. "I guess we worked our shit out."

"Clarissa," another familiar voice chided, as that person dropped onto the seat next to Clary. "Such language, your mother will have my head."

Clary rolled her eyes. "You're being dramatic, Magnus."

Magnus grinned at his friend, before turning to Alec. "So, we meet again, Alec Lightwood."

Alec had a hard time swallowing his mashed potato. "Um, yeah," he managed to choke out.

Clary looked from Alec to Magnus with an arched eyebrow, and came to a realization. She knew Alec wouldn't appreciate her being nosy, so she decided to dismiss it for now. "Where's Tessa?" she asked.

"With Charlotte…I mean, Professor Branwell."

Clary nodded her head, while Alec looked at the two, confused. "You're on first name basis with the professor?"

"Well, I lived with the Branwell family for a few years when they were still living in London," Magnus answered. "That's how I became Tessa's childhood friend."

"And Professor Branwell is my mom's distant cousin, sort of. It's complicated," Clary added in sheepishly.

Alec nodded. Then, realizing what Magnus said, he asked, "So, Tessa's related to the Branwell family too?"

Magnus and Clary looked at one another for a while before the spiky-haired teen answered, "That's complicated too…and personal. You'll have to ask Tessa." He sent an apologetic look towards Alec.

"I understand," Alec replied. Tessa gave him his privacy, so he wasn't about to poke around in her personal matters.

Trying to prevent the conversation from becoming awkward and uncomfortable, Clary looked at Magnus, and asked, "Where's your dinner?" Alec looked at the other teen, and surely, there was no food in front of the spiky-haired boy.

"I'm not hungry," Magnus answered nonchalantly.

Clary tutted in disapproval as she glared at Magnus before she pushed her own plate of food in front of the latter. He protested but Clary sternly said, "If my mom finds out you're skipping dinner, then losing your head is the least of your worries." Then, she stood up, "I'm going to take some more food for myself."

"Alec," she said, looking at her blue-eyed friend. "Make sure he eats." After Clary left, an awkward silence descended, so Alec cleared his throat. "Um, you and Clary seemed close."

Magnus, who was pushing around the food in his plate — grilled breast chicken, mashed sweet potato, and some steamed veggies — looked up at Alec. There was a twinkle of mischief in his eyes when he replied, "Jealous?"

Alec tried not to blush but he knew his attempt was futile. "N-No, of course not. Just," he shrugged, "curious." He mentally kicked himself, hoping he didn't sound too pathetic. Magnus didn't say anything after that, just continued playing with his food. So, he looked down at his own plate, wondering he was out of line for asking something so personal. He was surprised when Magnus spoke softly.

"My mom loved to buy paintings from Clary's mom. Jocelyn was a painter, you see. So, I've known Clary since she was just a toddler."

Alec noticed the change in atmosphere, and replied with only an "Oh", before he continued eating his dinner. By the time Clary returned, Magnus had already composed himself. She raised her eyebrows when she looked at Alec and Magnus though.

"Did something happen?" she asked. Even a blind person could see the thick tension surrounding the two individuals, she thought.

"Nothing much. Alexander and I were only talking," Magnus answered with a grin. No one would have guessed that Magnus turned gloomy temporarily just a moment ago.

"Really?"

Magnus placed a hand to his heart in mock hurt. "How could you think so little of me, Clarissa?"

Alec saw Clary's glare at the use of her full name, and before any bickering could start, Alec interjected, "We really were just talking. He told me that his mother used to buy paintings from your mom."

"Oh," Clary said, before turning to Magnus with a sad smile on her face, and the latter just shrugged. Alec was confused by that display, but it was gone before he could say anything. When Magnus returned to his normal, flirty self, Alec dismissed what just happened.

It was almost two hours later when Clary left, saying that she has a study group at the library before their curfew at ten. Magnus insisted on walking to their dormitory building together, so Alec couldn't say no. When they reached Alec's room, Alec unlocked the door. "Do you want to come in?" he asked, as he turned around.

He was surprised to see Magnus standing so close to him. He froze in place when Magnus gently touched his face with a hand, "What I want right now is to kiss you." Magnus leaned in closer, and he could feel Magnus's lingering breath at his neck. When he felt Magnus's lips almost touching his own, something triggered inside him, and without thinking, he pushed Magnus away. Magnus's eyes widened at his reaction, but he didn't give it a moment's thought. Without saying anything, or gave Magnus a chance to say something, Alec went into his room and slammed the door in Magnus's face.

Magnus stared at the closed door, his jaw dropped slightly. He was dumbfounded. He really was. He was definitely sure that Alec Lightwood was interested. Tessa told him that Alec was shy, and was probably not completely out of the closet yet, and he understood. Sure, he had flirted with Alec whenever he saw the blue-eyed teen, but that was just his nature. He flirted with everyone. However, he had made sure no one was around when he made his advances towards the eldest Lightwood siblings. When he reached his room, he was still confused, and he was still in the same state when he went to bed.

* * *

It had been two days since the night Magnus attempted to kiss Alec. The latter did all he could to avoid Magnus, which includes eating breakfast in his room, having lunch with his sister on the balcony instead of his usual table at the cafeteria with Clary and Simon, or with Tessa and her friends, and skipping his study session with the brunette after school. He knew he might be over-reacting, but he couldn't help himself. Unfortunately for him though, they have an assembly every Friday morning, so there was no way he could continue to avoid Magnus then.

At seven in the morning, Alec, who was woken up by the banging on the door of his room, looked at Simon sleepily. The younger teen was already out of bed, his towel hanging on one of his shoulders. Simon managed to decipher Alec's silent, questioning look, and said, "It's probably your brother."

Simon's answer was confirmed when a few more knocks were heard, followed by Jace's hollering, "Alec, get your ass out of bed now. We're meeting Izzy for breakfast."

Alec rolled his eyes, and groaned, while Simon gave him a sympathetic look. Reluctantly, he got off his bed, and went to the door, just after Simon disappeared into the bathroom.

"Well, good morning, sunshine," Jace grinned widely at the sight of Alec. His brother had horrible bed hair, and there was a faint, red mark near his jaw, which was probably caused by Alec's face pressing on his hand when he slept.

"This is too early for your perkiness, Jace." Alec left the door opened, and returned to his bed. Jace stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. The blond raised an eyebrow when Alec sat crossed-leg on his bed, wrapping the comforter around himself.

He frowned as Jace took a seat at his study table. "Why the special wake up call?" he asked.

"Probably because you've been skipping breakfast at the cafeteria lately," Jace answered. "And Izzy threatened me bodily harm if I didn't bring you with me this morning."

Alec shuddered. When it comes to Izzy, he knew his sister would go through with her threats without thinking twice. Alec hugged his pillow closer to his chest, and silence fell for a moment.

"Hey," Jace's soft voice broke the silence. "Did something happen?" At Alec's questioning look, he added, "You were doing great, making your own friends, and hanging out with them after school, but the last two days, you seemed to be hiding in your shell."

A soft smile graced Alec's face. "Are you worried?"

Jace's face grew hot, and he looked away. "No. I just don't want to deal with a temperamental Izzy alone," he huffed.

Alec chuckled. "Sorry, I made you worried."

"I'm not," Jace interjected.

"It's just…" Alec thought about it for a moment. He couldn't very well told Jace that he was hiding from his brother's roommate. So, he lied, "It was just one of those days."

Jace frowned, but decided not to ask. He knew what would happen if he pushed Alec too much. "You'll tell me if something's bothering you, right?"

"Yes, mom," Alec said, with an air of annoyance. Jace could be like a mother hen sometimes.

Jace let the sarcasm slide. He turned his gaze towards the ensuite bathroom, and said. "The geek sure takes a long time to get ready."

Alec threw his pillow at Jace. "His name is Simon, and don't call him a geek."

Jace smirked. "Where's the fun in that?"

Alec sighed, and shook his head. He knew there was no use telling his brother to stop picking on Simon.

* * *

Alec had walked to the assembly hall together with his sister, and brother. Izzy went to join the other students from her grade as soon as they arrived, but Jace stayed with Alec. During breakfast, when Isabelle went to grab another muffin, he had asked Jace to stand beside him during the assembly, and Jace agreed without any questions. Usually, they had to line up in pairs, according to their own grade but Jace didn't care. He would do anything Alec asked, well…most of the time.

Alec looked around the hall, but he couldn't find the person he was searching for. He felt a mixture relief, and disappointment. The latter caused much confusion to him, but before he could ponder on it, Jace broke him out of his train of thoughts.

"Were you looking for someone?"

"What?" He turned to look at Jace. "No."

The blond, in return, gave his brother a skeptical look. "You seemed distracted."

"I was searching for Tessa."

Jace studied Alec's face. A frown appeared when he couldn't determine whether or not Alec was lying with that straight face. Before Jace could say something else though, a female voice interjected.

"I heard someone saying my name."

Surprised, both teens turned around to find a grinning Tessa, and a bored-looking guy with long, whitish-blond hair. Ragnor Fell, if Alec recalled correctly.

"When did you get here?" Alec asked. He knew for certain that Tessa was not standing behind him earlier.

"We arrived just a minute ago." She returned a nod of acknowledgement that Jace sent her way. Then, remembering her manners, she said, "Oh, let me introduce you. This is Ragnor Fell," she motioned towards the teen beside her. "And this is—"

"Alexander Lightwood," Ragnor cut in. He was grinning now, a twinkle in his eyes. "Mags mentioned you a lot."

Alec's eyes widened, and Jace looked at them suspiciously. Tessa had just elbowed Ragnor, causing the white-haired teen to groan. Jace was about to open him mouth, so Alec immediately inserted, "So, where _is_ Magnus?"

Tessa looked amused, but she answered him anyways. "Since it would be too cold for him to be out in the garden, he's probably hanging around in one of the empty classrooms. He never liked attending the morning assembly."

"Oh." Alec ignored the look on Tessa's face.

The principal, and teachers entered the hall a few seconds later, halting Jace's intention to ask Tessa and Ragnor about why Magnus was talking about Alec. He looked at his brother, Tessa, and Ragnor suspiciously for a moment before turning to the front.

Alec sighed, relieved that Jace was dropping the issue for now. But knowing his brother, Alec knew the blond would not stop until he received an answer. A few moments after the principal started his speech, Alec began losing himself in his train of thought. The thing with Magnus had him confused, _if_ it could actually be called a thing. They were not friends, merely acquaintances— classmates. He should be annoyed, and a tad bit afraid at the _attention_ Magnus was giving him, but he couldn't deny that Magnus made him curious, which made it hard for him to completely ignore the other teen either.

* * *

Magnus was in one of the Art room that students from the Fashion Design club regularly used for their activities. He had his sketchpad with him, and was sitting on the reading nook, while looking out the window.

As soon as he woke up two days ago, he immediately went to Tessa. He told her everything that happened, and Tessa could only sighed at him, and shook her head before saying, "I've told you before, didn't I? Don't go, and mess with his heart. He's different than the people you usually flirt with."

He stared at Tessa in disbelief at first. He thought Tessa would help him, give him some advices to win Alec Lightwood, but instead, he received a rather long lecture from his best friend. Then, a question from Tessa baffled him.

"Magnus, why do you insist on pursuing Alec?" she asked.

"I…" He opened his mouth to speak, and then, shut it again. He wouldn't say something so cheesy like falling in love at first sight. But Alexander's blue eyes, they drew him in, made him unable to resist. And maybe, it was also because Alec was so shy, and he liked making the younger teen blush. Magnus shook his thought away, and his eyes met with Tessa's expectant ones. He sighed, a hand running through his hair. "I don't know." It was not completely true, but at least, it was not a lie.

"Hmm," was Tessa's reply before she placed a hand on Magnus's arm. "If you really want Alec, you should be his friend first. Then, you wouldn't scare him off." She gave him a challenging look. "Or are you incapable of that?"

He huffed in annoyance, and looked offended. "Of course I am capable of being friends," he told her.

She smiled at him, a twinkle in her eyes, and said, "Good luck."

The school bell ringing had snapped Magnus out of his train of thoughts. He stood up, placed his sketchpad on the seat before stretching. He adjusted the scarf around his neck. The assembly should be over by now. Grabbing his bag, he placed his sketchpad inside properly. The sketchpad is an important thing to a designer after all.

Magnus turned off the light before exiting the classroom. He had English for first period, he recalled, and he remembered Tessa mentioning Alec would be in the same class too. He decided to use that period to gather Alec's attention, and apologize. The other teen wouldn't be able to run away in the middle of class now, would he?

* * *

When the assembly was over, Alec decided to walk with Tessa and Ragnor to his first class. Avoiding Magnus for the past two days meant he had to avoid Tessa too, most of the time. And he quite missed his brunette friend. He was surprised that Jace wasn't kicking up a fuss. He knew the blond was curious about Ragnor's words earlier that morning.

Jace waited till Alec left before searching for his sister. He found her, surprisingly, in the company of Clary Fray and Simon Lewis. A smirk was slowly forming on his face. He knew he needed to get on Clary's good side to be friends with her, but annoying her was too much fun. He loved seeing the angry look on her face, so much fire in it.

"Good morning, Clarissa," he said, when he stood next to Isabelle. He knew how much Clary's full name annoyed her, and he smirked when the girl narrowed her eyes.

"What do you want, Jace?" Clary asked through gritted teeth.

"Hmm… A date would suffice."

Simon snorted. "In your dreams."

Jace turned to the lanky brunette teen. "Nobody asked you, geek."

Before a fight could happen, Isabelle sighed. "What do you really want, Jace?"

"Well, I wanted to kidnap you actually," he grinned at his sister. "Sorry to cut your meeting short, but this is urgent. I'll see you around." And before anyone could register what he said, Jace grabbed Isabelle's arm, and pulled her towards the doorway. They had just made it outside the hall when Isabelle smacked Jace's arm, hard.

"Hey!" Jace yelped, glaring at his sister while rubbing the sore spot.

Isabelle crossed her arms at her chest, and returned the glare. "That's for manhandling me." Then, she started walking off, and Jace grumbled as he followed her. "Now, what's so important that you can't say in front of Clary and Simon?"

"It's about our dearest brother, that's what."

"Alec?" Isabelle looked confused. "What's wrong with him?"

Jace pulled a face at Isabelle's ignorance. "Don't tell me you believed his excuses about being anti-social for the past two days?" Isabelle gave Jace a blank face, and Jace almost growled in frustration. He didn't know if his sister was doing it purposely to annoy him, or she really didn't know. So, he added in a hush voice, "I think Bane is harassing Alec!"

That seemed to catch Isabelle's attention. She stopped and looked at Jace. "What? Magnus is harassing Alec?" She frowned. "Are you sure?"

"Ragnor Fell said Magnus mentions Alec. _A lot."_

"That doesn't mean he's harassing Alec."

"But it's Bane!" Jace exclaimed, as if that justified everything. "HE IS PREYING ON ALEC, I KNOW IT. And he won't stop until he gets his prey."

"Hmmm, why does that sound familiar?" Isabelle said, arching her eyebrows at Jace.

Jace ignored her. "I'm trying to be serious here."

Isabelle was glad that there were only a few students at the hallway at that moment because Jace is being seriously ridiculous. "Look, I know you're protective of Alec, and I am too. But I don't think Magnus is harassing Alec. Besides, your judgment is biased by your dislike towards Magnus."

"You know Magnus's history."

"And I know yours too, but despite being a ladies' man, I know you're a good guy." Then, Isabelle scrunched her face. "Well, sometimes." She shook her head, then, added in, "The point is; you should give Magnus the benefit of the doubt."

Jace snorted. "Only when hell freezes," he muttered under his breath.

Isabelle shook her head again. Jace could be so stubborn sometimes. But then again, she couldn't deny that stubbornness is their family trait. The revelation that Magnus might be interested in Alec made her ecstatic. But if Magnus's flirting were the cause of Alec pulling away from people the last two days, then she would have to talk to Magnus about it. If Magnus wanted to win Alec's affection, then he has to go about it the right way. She hoped that Magnus could pull Alec out of his shell. Her brother deserved to be happy.

Isabelle and Jace parted ways near the staircase, which Jace had to take to go to his Chemistry class, while Isabelle continued towards the end of the hallway, where her Arts Class was located. Throughout her morning classes, Isabelle was determined to drag her brother to have lunch in the cafeteria with Magnus's group. That way she could observe both of them, and make plans from there.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, so how was it? I hope I'm not dragging things too much like I tend to do in multi-chapter fanfics. Anyways, please leave a review :)**


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